The upcoming Labor Day Weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. With an improving economy and lower gas prices, the roads and highways in Pennsylvania and New Jersey will be filled with travelers trying to make the most out of the end of the summer. Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear, in a podcast available on YouTube, states that drivers need to avoid drinking alcohol, stay focused and alert to avoid traffic accidents.

More people are killed in car crashes over the Labor Day weekend than any other holiday except Thanksgiving, according to the National Safety Council. Although all drivers need to be careful every day of the year, certain times of the year present more of a risk for accidents, injuries, and death than others says auto accident attorney Rand Spear. Labor Day weekend traffic accidents account for an average of 375 deaths for the previous five years, according to a 2015 National Safety Council study, with 37.5% of the accidents alcohol related.

Spear says the sheer volume of traffic increases the chances of accidents. “Summer vacations are coming to an end. You’ve got a lot of young and unfortunately inexperienced drivers on the roadway celebrating the last holiday. A lot of people are traveling so there’s a lot of cars on the road and usually when that happens there’s going to be traffic issues,” Spear says.

“The most important piece of advice I can give everyone is to not drink and drive. Law enforcement is going to be in full force focusing their attention on impaired driving. If you drink make arrangements for a designated driver or a taxi or Uber or Lyft. Don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve consumed any alcohol at all,” Spear suggests.

He also says we can take steps to minimize the harm an accident can inflict. “Make sure you wear your seatbelt. A lot of people have survived collisions because of seatbelts. Safety belts save lives,” auto accident attorney Spear says.

Spear also suggests, drivers not be distracted so cell phones should be put away. They need to focus on driving because there should be much more traffic. If you have small children they should be in properly installed safety seats appropriate for their size and that they’re secured properly. Allow plenty of time so there’s no need to speed and give others the benefit of the doubt so you won’t get upset at other drivers.

“If you get there 30 minutes later it’s okay. You’re going to have just as good of a time and enjoy yourself so don’t be in such a hurry to get where you’re going. Be alert and exercise extreme caution at all times,” Spear says.

Making the holiday far more hazardous are those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “In Pennsylvania in 2015 there were more than 10,000 DUI related crashes with about 345 involving fatalities. It really is a very serious problem and we all need to be aware of it and act responsibly,” Spear says. He warns drivers that there will be increased DUI checkpoints over the holidays.

He says that kind of very public law enforcement can reduce the number of drunk drivers on the roads. “Even if you just save one life it’s definitely worthwhile but here you’re potentially saving many lives. If they’re out and the public sees that they’re out in force people will drive more carefully,” Spear says. “Nobody needs to drink and drive with all the resources out there like taxis, Uber and Lyft that can help you go home or get anywhere you want relatively cheaply.”

If you or a family member are injured in a Labor Day weekend accident due to a negligent driver in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear today at 888-373-4LAW or through his website for a free consultation. You can discuss what happened, how the law may apply and your best options for obtaining compensation for your injuries.